Most rail travellers become even angrier after filing a complaint

 Commuters are angrier at train companies after they have complained, research shows.

A study by Which? has found that some train companies are so bad at dealing with complaints that as many as seven in 10 passengers feel more negatively about them after their complaint was handled.

Across every train operating company in the analysis, no more than half of passengers thought their complaint had even been taken seriously let alone resolved.

Fewer than one in five passengers with three operators – Northern, Govia Thameslink Railway and Great Western Railway – said they were satisfied with the outcome, handling, or both, of their complaint.

It comes after the announcement of a new rail ombudsman, which will help ensure train companies deal with passenger complaints better. Where complaints are escalated, the ombudsman must deal with them effectively.

Anthony Smith, chief executive of Transport Focus, the independent watchdog, said: “[We have] handled 7,000 appeals this year, including many about how well – or otherwise – train operators handle passengers who have faced a problem. Around 70 per cent of passengers who turn to us tell us they are satisfied with the outcome we achieve.

“We welcome the arrival of a new rail ombudsman service, because the existence of an independent authority with powers to impose binding decisions to resolve intractable complaints should help accelerate efforts by all train operators to improve their complaint-handling.

“We will also track the work of the new ombudsman very closely to make sure it delivers measurable benefits for passengers.”